Exquisite Letterpress Brings the "High-Touch" Elegance of Letterpress Printing into the 21st Century at "Slowprint.com"

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Exquisite Letterpress is a new 'online boutique' press dedicated to "first impressions." Specialties include unique wedding or special event invitations, calling cards, personal and executive stationery, printed with an obsession for "delicious" papers and "perfectionist" typography.

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Exquisite Letterpress (http://slowprint.com) is a new 'online boutique' press dedicated to "first impressions." Specialties include unique wedding or special event invitations, calling cards, personal and executive stationery, printed with an obsession for "delicious" papers and "perfectionist" typography.

Letterpress printing, invented in Germany in the 1450s, has come back from near extinction in the past few years, as a respite and relief from the monotony of "quick-print" and ubiquitous inkjet and laser printers. The "first impression" on receiving a unique invitation or announcement on hand-made paper, or with a Japanese tissue overlay, makes a powerful emotional contrast to all the junk mail coming through the door.

Owner Peter Fraterdeus brings twenty-five years as a typographer, designer, editor, calligrapher and printer to the revival of the letterpress tradition. A long-time member of the ATypI, his background also incorporates a thorough mastery of digital production techniques which are used to produce the 'type-high' photopolymer plates for printing. "The results", he says of the digital process, "are just stunning."

Fraterdeus continues, "We're able to combine the broad range and precision of today's digital typography with these 19th and early 20th century presses to produce printing which draws from the best of the centuries old tradition. We love the magic of authentic materials like hand-made papers, 19th-century wood type and vintage metal foundry type, and then marry these with the sharpness and clarity of a deep impression in fine rag papers. It's what I like to call 'Slow Print'. Slow printing produces a sensual symphony for the touch and the eye, and a sense of intimacy impossible with any other technique.""

His clients are equally enthusiastic, as one comment on the exquisiteletterpress.com site says, "Peter, I'm speechless. They look better than
I could have imagined!" and another writes about her wedding invitations, "I honestly couldn't be happier with everything--the colors, the type--the invitation is just beautiful.... We'll probably need baby announcements in the future and Christmas cards and all the other fun stationery things a family needs."

Pricing is dependent on the type of project and the paper stock used. The website offers some typical prices for calling cards (500 for $295) and guidance for wedding invitation planning (from $7-12 per set of Invitation and RSVP with envelopes, for 100 sets). Designers and event planners may be eligible for an agency discount, depending on the type of projects. Billing is through PayPal or by credit card.

Exquisite Letterpress welcomes multi-lingual work, and has done printing for clients from Europe, the Far East and Russia. For more information, visit slowprint.com, or contact Peter Fraterdeus at [email protected] or +1 815 345 4943.

"Exquisite Letterpress" and "Slow Print" are trademarks of Semiotx, Inc.